Jar cover remover

ABSTRACT

A screw cover remover having a handle at one end thereof with a cavity at the opposite end thereof adapted to encompass the cover of the jar to be removed and containing therein gripping means to frictionally retain the screw cover remover fixed relative to the jar cover to remove the latter. The gripping means in accordance with one aspect of the invention includes spaced apart members having a threaded face extending in a substantially horizontal plane to bind up against the side or corner of the cover. In another form the members contain teeth extending substantially vertical for engagement with the jar cover.

United States Patent FOREIGN PATENTS 1907 GreatBritain................

[72] inventor J0lmG.Tholen 27 Ospery Drive, Toms River, NJ. 08753 n I. mm .mmmm

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Attomey-Leonard W. Suroff [54] JAR COVER REMOVER ABSTRACT: A screw cover remover having a handle at one 5 Claims, 9 Drawing Figs.

end thereof with a cavity at the opposite end thereof adapted to encompass the cover of the jar to be removed and containing therein gripping means to frictionally retain the screw cover remover fixed relative to the jar cover to remove the latter. The gripping means in accordance with one aspect of the invention includes spaced apart members having a 4 4 3 B s H4 8..m 3 M 3 cm 0 .M Sm UIF 11] 2 0 555 [ll threaded face extending in a substantially horizontal plane to bind up against the side or corner of the cover. In another 81/3 4 form the members contain teeth extending substantially verti- 81/3.4 X cal for engagement with the jar cover.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,641,943 6/1953 KnzeJr.

3,048,068 8/1962 Griffiths PATENTEDAUBZMSYI 3500882 sum 1 or 3 INVIUN"! 1H JOHN G. THOLEN PATENTEU M1824 len SHEET 2 BF 3 PATENTEUAUBZMSYI 3.600.982

SHEEI 3 OF 3 JUHH 6 I'HOLE H JAR COVER REMOVER FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to bottle openers and more particularly to an improved bottle screw cap remover.

DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART A variety of bottle openers have been proposed in the prior art to remove a cover or closure from a bottle in a simple manner. Obviously with the billions of jars sold yearly a simple and efficient opener would be widely accepted. The prior art as exemplified by US. Pat. Nos. 1,615,196; 1,752,189; 2,589,693; 2,641,943; 2,761,337 and 3,048,068, are similar in that they rely on elements in the opener to frictionally engage the cover on the jar so that the jar and cover may be rotated, relative to each other. In particular US Pat. Nos. 1,752,189 and 2,589,693 both rely on inwardly projecting elements that. must be brought into pressural contact with the cap, and

1 which pressure must be maintained during the screwing off of the cap. This type of design for a cover remover is deficient in that if too much axial force is applied between the cover and jar the latter might crack causing perhaps serious cuts by the glass or plastic from which the jar is generally fabricated to the user. If too little static axial force is applied then a slippage between the jar and friction elements will occur preventing the removal of the cover.

US. Pat. Nos. 2,641,943 and 3,048,068 further provide serrations or teeth on the contacting portions of the friction elements or bars to grip the cover. The teeth on the friction elements due to their taper are intended to be firmly interlocked with the top peripheral edge of cap which also first requires exerting a downward pressure for the teeth to become firmly interlocked with the cap and besides the possibility of cracking the jar if the cover has a rounded edge the teeth may not always grip the cover.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION An object of the invention is to overcome the objections to the prior art devices by providing a screw cover or cap remover for bottles and jars in which threaded portions are provided and adapted to engage the corner edge or threaded portion of the cover.

Another object of the invention is to provide a screw cap remover in which threaded members are maintained in fixed spaced apart relation, with the threads extending either vertically or horizontally to gradually grip and retain the cover the jar to permit its removal with a minimum axial force.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be obvious as the disclosure proceeds.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The screw cover remover includes a body portion having a handle portion at one end thereof and a cavity at the opposite end adapted to encompass the cover so that the gripping means contained within the cavity may frictionally grip the cover to permit its removal from the jar. The gripping means in accordance with one embodiment includes three screw threaded members so that the helix thereof gradually engages the cover and tightens up on it so that a minimum axial static force need by applied. In accordance with another embodiment the threaded sections form portions of an internally threaded cavity so that the counterclockwise rotation of the screw cover remover binds the threads against the cover and the rotation is continued until the resistance between the cover and jar is overcome. Another embodiment provides vertical teeth or ribs adapted to mate with complementary indentations on the cover so that relative displacement therebetween is eliminated and the angular rotation force is immediately transmitted to the cover.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself, and

the manner in which it may be made and used, may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views and in which;

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a screw cap remover and jar in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the screw cap remover showing the interior thereof; I

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the device to clearly illustrate @nai e yrqs hs FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along lines 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, illustrating another form of the invention in which the threads on the gripping members follow a helix path;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 66 of FIG. 5, illustrating the helix formed by the threads on the gripping members;

FIG. 7 illustrates another form of the invention in which gripping teeth extend vertically to grip the cover;

FIG. 8 is taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 7, showing the vertically extending teeth, and

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 7.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings in detail and particularly to FIGS. l4 thereof, we have illustrated one form of the invention of a screw cover remover 10 which except for the gripping means 15 positioned therein may be formed of a plastic or metallic material and manufactured in any conventional manner. The gripping means 15 is preferably made of a metallic material. The screw cap remover 10 includes a body portion 16 having a bottom edge or surface 18 at one end thereof and an inner conical cavity 19 formed by the face 20 and an outer surface 22 which may follow the contour of the inner surface 20. The conical cavity 19 is tapered from the bottom edge 18 so as to accommodate a range of covers or lids 25 that are normally secured to a jar, bottle, etc. 26.

The upper end of the body portion 16 has a handle portion 30 which may be integrally formed therewith and connected by a neck portion 31 and having a contoured peripheral outer surface 32 with a plurality of spaced apart indentations 34 to permit the user to grip the handle 30 when initially securing it in place to the cover 25 and thereafter when unscrewing it from the jar 26. I

The gripping means 15 includes preferably two or more gripping members 35, three being shown, equidistantly spaced interiorly within the conical cavity 19 and contained in slots or grooves 36 terminating at the bottom edge l8 and extending substantially the vertical length of the conical cavity 19. The gripping members 35 may be rigidly retained in the respective slots 36 by an adhesive or by moulding the body portion 16 with the gripping members 35 in place. As seen particularly in FIGS. 3 and 4 the gripping members 35 are provided with teeth in the form of threads 38 which is an important feature of the invention in that as the user places the screw cap remover 10 over the cover 25 and rotates it counterclockwise with respect thereto the screw threads 38 gradually grip the corner 40 of the cover and the threads due to the spiral generated thereby automatically tighten up on the cover 25 so that a minimum of axial pressure must be applied. As the relative angular motion between the gripping means 15 and the cover 25 is generated it will overcome the forces of retention between the cover 25 and jar 26 such that it will be released. At this point the screw cover remover 10 may be continued to be rotated until the cover 25 is completely removed from the jar 26 and then freed therefrom. By using a screw thread form for the teeth on the gripping members 35 it is possible with a minimum of effort to engage the threads 38 with the cover 25 since in a sense the thread design makes them essentially selfengaging which is an obvious advantage for people of limited strength or for closures firmly secured in place to a jar. For example, the threads may be 1/4-20 right-hand sharp V thread.

FIGS. and 6, illustrate another form of the invention 100 which is similar to that illustrated in FIGS. l-4 except that the retaining means 15a are designed that the teeth 38a of the respective gripping members 35a define a helix. In this manner the threads 38a are as if formed from a tapered screw with respective sections removed therefrom and placed in slots 36a in the body portion 16a. The slots 36a are shown as rectangular but any shaped recess capable of retaining the gripping members 35a in place would be suitable. As seen in FIG. 6 the phantom lines denote the portion of the internally threaded sections that would define a complete helix thread.

In this manner when the cap remover a is engaged with a cover and rotated thereon in a counterclockwise direction the teeth 38a will gradually grip the cover comer and tighten thereagainst until the frictional resistance between jar and closure is overcome and the cover is then removed. In this form, as that illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, a minimum of axial static force need be applied since the teeth by their shape automatically frictionally engage the cover as a rotating force is applied in a plane substantially parallel to the upper surface of the cover. Particularly in FIGS. 5 and 6 the teeth 38a are adapted to frictionally engage the cover and loosen it.

FIGS. 7-9, illustrate another form of the invention 10b in which the body portion 16b has in its cavity 19b the gripping means b which includes a plurality of gripping members 35b contained in vertically extending grooves 36b with the teeth 38b extending substantially vertically in contrast to the substantially horizontal direction illustrated in FIGS. 1-6. Illustrated in FIG. 7 is a jar cover 25b covering jar 26b and having a plurality of vertically extending ribs or serrations 42b adapted to mate with the teeth 38b in the individual gripping members 35b. Obviously, the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 7-9 may be utilized with a conventional closure not having the mating ribs 42b.

Many other changes could be effected in the particular constructions, and in the methods of use and construction, and in specific details thereof, hereinbefore set forth, without substantially departing from the invention intended to be defined herein, the specific description being merely of embodiments capable of illustrating certain principles of the invention.

I claim:

1. A jar cover remover comprising:

a body portion having a substantially conical cavity at one end thereof adapted to receive therein the jar cover to be removed,

b. handle means at the opposite end of said body portion adapted to be gripped for rotation of said body portion, and

c. gripping means contained in said cavity for frictionally engaging said jar cover, said gripping means including a plurality of spaced apart gripping members inwardly. extending therein and having a threaded section adapted to grip and engage the cover when the body portion is rotated relative thereto, wherein a minimal axial force is required to be applied to said jar cover remover as the latter is rotated, said gripping members are circular having an externally threaded section contained within said cavity for engaging said cover.

2. A jar cover remover as defined in claim 1, wherein said threads are right-handed and sharp V threads.

3. A jar cover remover as defined in claim 1, wherein said circular gripping members extend outwardly from the wall of said cavity substantially one-half the diameter thereof.

4. A jar cover remover as defined in claim 2, wherein said handle is of a size to be gripped in the hind of the user and includes a plurality of indentations on the circumference thereof to facilitate gripping thereof.

5. A jar cover remover as defined in claim 4, wherein said body ortion has a tapered outer surfaceextending inwardly from he open end 0 said cavity and joined to said handle means by a neck portion. 

1. A jar cover remover comprising: a body portion having a substantially conical cavity at one end thereof adapted to receive therein the jar cover to be removed, b. handle means at the opposite end of said body portion adapted to be gripped for rotation of said body portion, and c. gripping means contained in said cavity for frictionally engaging said jar cover, said grIpping means including a plurality of spaced apart gripping members inwardly extending therein and having a threaded section adapted to grip and engage the cover when the body portion is rotated relative thereto, wherein a minimal axial force is required to be applied to said jar cover remover as the latter is rotated, said gripping members are circular having an externally threaded section contained within said cavity for engaging said cover.
 2. A jar cover remover as defined in claim 1, wherein said threads are right-handed and sharp V threads.
 3. A jar cover remover as defined in claim 1, wherein said circular gripping members extend outwardly from the wall of said cavity substantially one-half the diameter thereof.
 4. A jar cover remover as defined in claim 2, wherein said handle is of a size to be gripped in the hind of the user and includes a plurality of indentations on the circumference thereof to facilitate gripping thereof.
 5. A jar cover remover as defined in claim 4, wherein said body portion has a tapered outer surface extending inwardly from the open end of said cavity and joined to said handle means by a neck portion. 